Happy New Year!

another year has come and gone...

and it was mostly good...

got some things figured out...

a few things done...

a few other things we  just lived through...

we are really blessed...

there were so many things we didn't have to do...

no surgeries or hospital rooms...

we have had both kids here with us through the holidays...

and for the most part, its been nice...

being the family here...

made some new friends and said goodbye to some old ones...

we did have to say goodbye to our sister in law...

that was probably the hardest thing this year...

her passing really hits close to home...

all in all, it really wasn't a bad year here...

we have had better, but we have had so much worse years...

the guys are working...

the bills are paid...

the lights are on...

and the fridge is full...

what else do you really need?

I guess I am looking forward to 2016...

my one regret is that I have been a bad blogger this year...

really bad...

and I do care about you all...

its just...

I am living my life for the first time in years...

I am doing things...

not just sitting here trying to find things to pass the time...

I am able to do things on my own more...

and trying to do more, keep up here...

housework waits for no one...

just being able to have things done and pretty when the guys come home...

that the days aren't wasted...

that I didn't lose all that time...

this is what I do in my down time...

;0)

I need to work on a compromise on that this year...

I miss you and your humor and your ideas...

so here  is to us...

may this be our best year yet...

;0)

thinking of building an ark...

we have gotten somewhere between 7.5 and 8.5 inches of rain in 72 hours...

roads were closed and things washed away...

homes and businesses flooded...

there was a stiff wind yesterday, too, as Craig ventured out on foot to grab some photos of what was happening around us...

its turned much cooler now and feels more like winter, even though it looks like spring here...

friends of ours, and others like them, have lost their home...

one that took him 2 years to re-do from the ground up...

for his family...

he was in tears yesterday...

wondering what will be now...

where they will end up...

prayers for this family and others would be appreciated...

they are staying with family now...

FEMA is coming in...

and I know they do help...

pretty quickly...

life can change so fast sometimes...

but God has a plan for them...

a bigger plan than they can ever imagine...

and they will get through it...

just really hard to imagine everything being ok again right now for them...

hope you are all safe and doing ok...

we are fine...

and Doug is getting his apartment next Monday...

yeah...

been with us for two and a half months now...

we are all ready for moving day!

;0)

 I am ready for some slow down time...

just to not think or do anything for a week or so...

no holidays...

no shopping...

no planning or decorating...

just hanging out in my jammies as winter floats on by...

maybe literally...

water is going down in the yard slowly..

and it is so full of corn stalks...

glad we have a couple months to get it all cleaned up...

going to be a fun spring...

;0)

more rain here...

and no where to put it...

plus, we will be raking corn stalks in the spring before anything else gets done...

the roads are closed all over the place here...

Doug and Paula got me these angels for Christmas...

and this pretty clock...

its huge...

got to find a place to hang it...

in the living room...

when the Christmas decorations come down...

maybe over the mantle...

or replace the other large clock that is up there but about half this size...

be safe out there...

I don't think there is any fun place to be...

its snow, rain, floods, tornadoes or winter storms moving in...

2015 isn't leaving without a fight...

prayers for all those on the roads trying to make it home...

for all the families who have lost loved ones or their homes...

waiting on DH to get home from work...

he cannot get here, but will have to park somewhere north of the tracks and walk in...

;0)

its been worse...

and we have everyone still...

a bit of rain...

we have gotten about 4.5 inches with a couple more possible...

things are a little wet around here...

but we are ok...

city guys had to pump some water today for the water to go down a bit...

we had a great Christmas here...

I will post photos as soon as I get around to taking some...

LOL

hope yours was awesome...

gearing up to tick the last of this year away...

(I will probably sleep through it again this year)

the left overs are almost gone and we still have so much ham!

thinking that we are going to have to freeze a bunch of it...

rejoice...

in Christmas...

and all that it brings...

Craig and DH have to work today...

when Craig gets home, we will open presents...

he gets off at 8pm...

Christmas morning, we will get up and start cooking dinner...

and eat around noonish...

maybe before...

keeping it simple this time...

ham, mashed potatoes, noodles...

cheesecake...

from our home to yours...

Merry Christmas...

we are not great...

because of who we are...

we are AWESOME because of who lives within us...

Merry Christmas...

for unto us...

a child was born...

the savior...

our savior...

;)

its coming...

and its not going to take very long at all...

what are your plans for the week?

Craig has to work Christmas eve...

so when he gets home...

around 9ish...

we will open presents...

and then have our dinner on Christmas day...

which everyone has off...

and the guys will watch tv and dose in the recliners...

I have been fighting a head/chest thingy with too much fluid in my ears...

so going to kick back and let the guys take care of me and do all the dinner stuff...

;)

they will do just fine...

and I get a mini vacation...

then over the weekend we have to pack up the left over toys and get them ready for storage...

;)

55 kids so far this year...

;)

photos are from here in town on our drive arounds...

have a fun and safe week...

wishing y'all a very Merry Christmas...

are you ready?

a new guy that I found earlier this month...

I like silly mooses...

got the shopping all done now...

and the wrapping, I think...

well, maybe not...

I am the type to shop all year long...

then forget what I bought and where I hid it...

its all good...

I just don't have to shop for valentines, easter or birthdays...

been having a dandy time with fluid in my ears this week...

gagging and all the fun that goes with that...

called off the dentist- going in January now...

but I finally feel human again today...

not doing a whole lot...

finishing up the toy drive...

added another one...

but we are caught up for now..

I can't believe its next week!

I hate when its over...

I like all the days before it comes...

when people care about each other...

there's a feeling in the air...

like God is so close...

all the time...

anywhere you go...

;)

I like this time of the year...

and its not about the presents...

I would be fine if I got nothing for Christmas...

the important part for me is what I give away...

;)

are you ready?

for Christmas?

Merry CHRISTmas!

what a weekend!

caught some elves goofing off right before we opened the doors Saturday...

the scatter when you yell, "GROUP PICTURE!"

this is how this area started out...

there were tubs full of hats, gloves, socks, coloring books and crayons, books, stocking stuffers and stuffed critters...

we hung the candy canes on the totes...

each child got a stuff critter, a hat, pair of gloves or mittens, a coloring book and crayons, 3 pairs of socks, a book and 3 stocking stuffers...

 this was after the first day...

most of the people come on the first day...

this is another after shot of the first day...

one scary santa there...

that's good old DH...

old being the key word today...

he does have a neck under that chin somewhere...

I remember seeing it back in the 80s...

;)

and this the after the party was all over and the elves were leaving the building...

we bagged toys for Santa's sleigh ( the real one) for 54 kids in our area...

it was awesome...

there were 12 of us elves each day and with so many hands...

it wasn't so hard on anyone and I know they all walked away blessed for being there...

and the parents were so grateful...

;)

and on Christmas morning, there will be 54 kids who will not know how hard their parents are struggling to keep things going...

because under their trees...

will be all kinds of wonderful things...

that the economy couldn't touch...

;)

I already had a call this morning for another one...

that will make 55...

and counting...

we will deliver until the 24th...

;)

I am a tired elf...

doing the laundry and stuff today that didn't get done over the weekend...

almost finished with that...

cleaning up and putting things away...

looks much better in here...

and I am heading for a nap while I can still get one in...

dentist is on Wednesday and more shopping...

need a few things for this last one...

and I need to finish mine...

a trip through the park to look at the lights and burger king...

not sure if I will be able to do a whopper...

(I have run those through my salad shooter before)

but I can do a milkshake for sure!

Hope your weekend was wonderful and that you had fun...

we were in the 60s...

its been a great winter so far!

muddy...

but warm...

gearing up...

got my new computer and trying to figure out my way around it...

getting ready for the big day tomorrow...

;)

I am soon back to blogging again...

needing prayers this way...

for a dear, dear friend...

found a mass on her husband...

and another today...

they are on a roller coaster right now...

unsure...

scared...

please pray...

welp, it was a long a week...

I used the form for one of my scarecrows to make a cross for in front of the house...

we finally had time to finish the outside yesterday afternoon...

and some white lights on my topiary makes a small christmas tree... 

but let's back track a little more...

this was Saturday morning...

the fog has been thick here for some time...

and it got cold enough to freeze on everything...

Mr Peebody...

and My Wiggles...

we have been working on the toy drive...

we mega shopped yesterday morning and got it all set up now...

we distribute next weekend...

so there's one more week of things coming in...

it is far more organized this year than it has ever been and we are using every bit of space...

I think we got all of the tables set up, too...

and here is another reason we have been missing in action...

this little chickie has stolen hearts big time around here...

she belongs to a friend of my son's...

and even all the animals like here...

she is a cat lover, but when they get tired and run away...

Charlie is a good buddy, too...

he gives he little bitty kisses...

so, gearing up to make this toy drive happen again this year...

and then onto our Christmas events...

still need to shop for some things...

but for the most part, it is done...

so, have a good week and I will pop in from time to time to keep you up to date...

it I can...

;0)

walking in a winter wonderland...

well, now, that's what we did yesterday afternoon...

it was snowing so hard by the time we left Paris...

snow was on the ground...

but when we got home...

we didn't have much at all...

got to the dentist...

its a piece of a tooth that got left behind...

numbed it up and was going to take care of it right then and there...

but it wouldn't numb...

so more antibiotics and back in 2 weeks...

the 16th...

we picked up the meds, did a little shopping and grabbed supper on the way home...

I like this dentist...

another young kid...

but the office is brand new and they just opened it up...

and it has all the new techy stuff in it...

not like what I remember at all...

its been 14 years since I have been to the dentist...

;0)

boy have things changed....

the piece of tooth has been floating around in there for 25 years!

its from my wisdom teeth!

I had those cut out in my 20s...

thank you for the prayers and helping me get through that trip...

I had woke up with a migraine plus my fibro flare...

so wasn't not a fun morning or trip over there, but things got better in the evening...

so, for being good and putting up with my ramblings and all the insanity of my life...

this is for you...

let's play...

my elf name this year is...

Sneaky VanJingles!

DH is Clumsy McSparkles...

Doug is Goofy Gumdrop...

and the best one this year goes to Craig...

Sweet Cheeks Tinselbottom!

so...

what's your elf name?

I think I better go put a depends on...

just leave me a comment...

;0)

this could be better than a snowball fight!

Deck the halls...

still sorting through the many totes of CHRISTmas decor...

I never put it all out...

no room for all of it...

but I do like to do it up a bit different every year...

and depending on what I found throughout the year...

I like using things in different ways...

so that's what I played with today...

while this one was napping...

little Sarah...

goes full steam until she falls over...

and our Annie...

who is already back to normal...

doing very well now back at home...

I will not adopt her out again, she has to stay...

the next little area to work on...

and my wonderful son...

avoiding me again...

notice the headphones...

so he doesn't have to listen to me singing along with ole' Bing...

;0)

and this is the find of last month...

I kind of did a snowman make over on him...

and gave him some hair...

changed his earmuffs...

rosied up his cheeks...

and there you go...

prayers for a good day for me tomorrow so I can get to the dentist and back ok...

not looking forward to this, but want it done...

and to get well and for my sinuses to clear up once and for all...

tired of being half sick all the time...

there is a hint that we might have snow flurries in the morning...

we have already done that, its time to move on...

one snow a year is enough...

it won't stick or stay and back to the 50s this weekend...

still working on the outside...

Doug cut the greenery today and put that up...

need to do the lights...

again...

found the tote that Craig said didn't exist...

I knew better...

;0)

and mom is always right...

right?

;0)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Christmas is so many things to so many people...

some measure it by the greatest gift they get...

but the true joy lies in...

the greatest gift you can give...

those little things you give away...

and not the kind of things you can find in a store or in online shopping...

they are smiles and courtesy...

patience and love...

give away as much as you can...

 donate to your local charities...

 make a child's smile brighter...

deliver cookies...

visit the forgotten...

hug the lonely...

be someone's angel on earth...

;0)

Merry CHRISTmas...

let the joy begin!